Tag Archives: paleo

So I’ve had a number of requests for the blueberry banana bread muffins. the recipe is already on here but I will post it again. The first recipe had some problems with it because I forgot to put some of the information. My bad. Keep in mind that I approximate most measurements. Especially with little things like cinnamon and vanilla. Do what feels right.

BANANA BREAD MUFFINS
(these can be made as muffins or a loaf of bread. I usually make muffins so the baking time will differ slightly.)

In a blender (Or if you are a normal person, a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor and use a blender, mix the bananas first. This will be a fairly thick ‘batter’)
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup roasted/salted cashews
4 ripe bananas
2 tbs olive oil (I use ‘light’ vanilla infused olive oil. The light just means it’s light flavored and throw two vanilla beans in a jar and let it sit for a while.)
1 tbs melted coconut oil
1 cup raw unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
If it’s too thick you can add a 1/4 cup of water.

In a bowl:
2 eggs, whisked
1 cup almond meal (there are a few different kinds of almond meal. My favorite is the raw kind and it’s available at a natural grocers. It is also the cheapest.)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 honey (depending on how sweet you want it)
3 tsp vanilla
cinnamon (not sure how much I used…whatever seems right)

Mix the two together and then add a container of blueberries (or two.) I also sometimes add chopped bananas. The more blueberries, the more moist the bread will be…which can be good or bad depending on what you like.

I also add vanilla protein powder sometimes which I thoroughly enjoy.

Bake at 375 for around 25 minutes. Test with a toothpick or knife.
Enjoy 🙂

It’s hard to talk about crossfit with someone who doesn’t crossfit…and I’m sure we’ve all been there. Now, imagine that you are a crossfit trainer/competitor (me) and your family doesn’t actually like that you do crossfit…sounds fun, right? right.

So I would even go as far to say that my family hates that I do crossfit. They may say this is an exaggeration but I don’t think it is. My mom hates that it’s a cult and I think she secretly dislikes the fact my muscles are fairly large and that I lift weights. My dad just hates that I lift weights at all because I had back surgery (I’ve talked about why lifting is important before) and he also would prefer that I have a runner’s body. My grandmother…well she just hates my traps. While this may be funny and somewhat absurd (it’s my life and my body, it doesn’t matter what they want me to look like) it’s frustrating because crossfit, like it or not, is a large part of my life. Eating well and working out are a struggle for many and people do it because they sort of have to if they want to ‘look good.’ I do this stuff because I love it and it’s not much of a struggle. I find it quite easy to eat paleo and to workout as much as I do. It’s just part of who I am. Not being able to share this passion with my family can be heart breaking. Mainly because many of the experiences I have had in the past few years have changed me as a person. I am lucky to be able to work with some amazing people who are both family and friends but I am beyond jealous of those whose parents come to watch them compete (my mom has come to some competitions…she usually leaves because she doesn’t like watching me lift heavy things) and whose parents actually workout with them, who congratulate them on PRs on their lifts rather than telling them not to lift heavy. I actually try NOT to talk about CF around my family or anyone who doesn’t CF for that matter.

I snatched 155# today. For me, that’s unbelievable. I have been wanting to snatch 150+ for a really long time and I thought I’d never be able to do it. If I told my parents this or sent them the video, they’d actually get angry with me. I want to share my (non-academic) accomplishments with them and I want them to be proud of the work I’ve done in CrossFit…but they don’t get it. They probably never will because all they see is that my shoulders and quads have gotten a little bigger.

I adore my parents, they really are my best friends and they have supported me in everything I have done my entire life. I just know the impact that CrossFit has had on my life and I wish I could share it with them, and I wish they could understand the difference it makes and what it is really about because it is more than working out. The change that occurs in someone is mental more than physical and it’s an unbelievable thing.
CrossFit is not for everyone and I don’t think everyone should do it…but it does change you in a profound way.

Cherie Chan wrote the perfect article, “Why CrossFit Ruined My Life” It is all so true…
I have learned to see food as fuel and I am incapable of eating something ‘bad’ without feeling it’s effects. I will forever keep gluten and dairy out of my diet (for the most part) and think in (somewhat) of a block system.
I have a very different understanding of what people should like like. I criticize the fronts of women’s magazines because the bikini bodies look like crap and the models couldn’t lift 100 lbs.
I have seen people push themselves farther than they ever thought they could go, and then go further. I expect everyone to do this, every day, all the time. The confidence that people gain through doing their first rope climb or dead lifting twice their body weight is unreal and it transfers over to other aspects of their lives.
I share blood, sweat, and tears with my crossfit family and have a deep respect for those who give it everything they have, every time they walk into the gym. I don’t see other people (with the exception of ‘elite’ athletes) the same way.
I will forever be obsessed with getting better at my weaknesses and I no longer workout to ‘stay in shape.’
I am not very good at wearing clothes that don’t stretch…My shoulders and quads are too big and my waist is too small.
My hands are calloused and I have bruises and scrapes on my legs.

Crossfit has not ruined my life… it has saved my life. It has changed the way I see food and it has made me a better person and a better athlete. It breeds respect, honesty, diligence, hard work, and sacrifice. There are not many things in this world that I believe have the same impact on people’s lives that CrossFit can have. (There are a lot of exceptions here guys…I believe that any elite athlete, body builder, or branch of the military, etc…can produce similar results mentally)

I will never forget the Colorado Open Masters competition last year. All but one of the women had finished the workout and I believe the last woman was a 3 time cancer survivor in her 60’s. The clock was about to run out and she had her last run left. There was no way she would finish the run in time for it to count towards her score but she took off for the run anyways. Soon after that, the 10 or so masters women who has just finished a grueling workout, got up off the ground and started to run after her. They all finished the run together. It still brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. I’ve never experienced the sportsmanship and camaraderie that I have in crossfit, in any other sport. It’s an amazing thing and I hope that one day, I will be able to share this with my family. Until then, I have an unbelievable group of friends (who are my gym family) that understand and support me.

When i go to Miami, I am around a lot of people who don’t have the same aesthetic values as I do. I am uncomfortable, instantly…as soon as I step off the plane. Uncomfortable in my own skin, uncomfortable with the temperature, and uncomfortable with everything around me. It’s like as soon as I get to Miami, I gain ten pound of fat and look in the mirror and hate everything I am. This has happened to me since I was a little girl and it’s a hard one to get over. It could be why I can’t stand Miami. It’s different there and I begin to see myself the same way that I think that everyone around me sees me. Whether or not it is an accurate portrayal, who knows…well I do know…but that is besides the point. From my grandmother telling me not to lift anymore because my muscles are big, to walking around in the heat with my thighs rubbing together (It’s ridiculously hot there all year round and I hate the heat). This has once again happened to me my entire life. My grandmother asks to look at me every time I see her…as if I was a model trying on clothes for a clothes designer (get the picture)…more commonly than not I get a “Mamita, you look great have you lost weight?” and the answer is usually yes, however, there is always that ‘are you still working out’ comment that sneaks in. (This is what I really want to say…I have muscles…get over it…they are awesome and I can do lots of fun things with them…I have been built like this my entire life and I’ve come to grips with the fact that I am an athlete. You should too) I am uncomfortable in most of the situations I am put in and it becomes an inner battle that I fight with myself every time I go there. The power my mind has over my body is unreal. The only place I am comfortable in Miami is in the crossfit gym and I am lucky to have a few friends who run a great facility who let me hang out. Check it out if you are ever down there (CrossFit Gables) Anyways, I go from unbelievably confident, strong, and happy with who I am to questioning myself and someone who I don’t recognize. It’s absurd and I know it, but it still happens. I hope that one day I won’t let this happen to me, but for now, it does.

The dark side of my mind takes over. It happens to the best of us and we can’t always control it. What we can do is do our best to get ourselves out of that situation. To ride it out and know that in the end, we can go back to being ourselves. I’d like to say it’s easy to stop thinking a certain way or to believe yourself when you know whats right…it’s not. We all have our demons and those little devils sitting on our shoulders whispering a whole bunch of SHIT into our ears. At some point we have to stop listening.

The same power of mind comes into play when I step up to the barbell. For the most part when I know I’m getting close to a max I stop counting and just add incrementally. Knowing the weight allows that little demon that sits on my shoulder to start whispering, “You aren’t strong enough, there is no way that you can get that weight overhead…you are weak and you will hurt yourself. You aren’t good enough to make that lift.” Every made lift makes that little demon shrink. Every time I step up to the bar confidently and do my best, he shrinks even further. It can be, like many things, a choice. However, it takes time. confidence doesn’t build over night and I think that without those bad days, it would be really difficult to have the really great ones. If you don’t step up to the bar and tell yourself that you are going to make the lift, I can guarantee that you will miss it and that stupid little demon will grow bigger and bigger.

I write this for those of you doing the nutrition challenge. The next 9 weeks are going to be tough and for a lot of the time, you will have a little demon sitting on your shoulder telling you things that you don’t want to hear…trying to convince you that you are a failure and that you can’t do it…I’m here to tell you that you can. Every good decision you make and every hard workout pays off in the end. The little demon shrinks, you get stronger and leaner, and your performance increases. It is worth it, I promise. Have faith in your coaches and most importantly, yourself. You CAN do it.

As for me, I weighed myself and did my body fat. I won’t put you through the pain of knowing how much I weigh, but my body fat is at 16%. Which is pretty awesome and I’m quite happy with that. We’ll see what the next 9 weeks bring…

So for the nutrition challenge I have come up with a meal plan for myself. (I can do this for anyone who is interested but only if you are willing to follow it. I’m not going to waste my time coming up with something only to have you eating too little or too much every day) I am doing this to lean down. Its mainly a vanity thing because my performance seems to be okay but I would like to be more efficient at things like running and handstand pushups so being a little lighter may help. I’ll actually be eating more than what I was eating before so we’ll see how it goes. Cleaning things up and taking out all the nuts I was eating. I’m going to do it for a week and adjust as needed… if my performance goes down, if I feel like crap, etc… I tend to adapt really well to whatever I put my body through so I don’t see there being much of a problem other than the fact I am in love with almond butter and I am eliminating it. I will have one cheat meal on the weekends where I will stuff all the almond butter that I missed throughout the week into a few short hours (joking). But I will probably have some almond butter and fruit during that time.

I had an eating disorder when I was younger. And by when i was younger, I mean for the majority of my life. A good ten years or so. This is part of me. It always will be. I think about and approach food in a much different way than most people. It has taken me a while to be able to talk about it and to accept that. Whatever. It is what it is. I know what I can and what I can’t do and what I need to do in order to have a healthy relationship with food. I have done a pretty good job with it every since I have started CrossFit. Paleo changed my life and I can honestly say I never thought I’d be able to think of food as fuel for my body…now I do. That changed happened with Crossfit and I will be forever grateful. So while weighing and measuring food and eating so strict may seem like bad habits for someone like me to some, for me it is not. For me, it is a way to force myself to eat enough and to eat the proper foods to reach my optimal performance and body composition. I am lucky that I put performance above anything else…another thing CrossFit has given me. So while my meal plan may have some pretty specific measurements for the carbs…I don’t measure my veggies. I know that I can’t possibly eat too many of them for the ‘blocks’ that I eat. I approximate my vegetable intake. I measure my protein so that I can control my consumption and I am currently watching my fat intake so that I can lean down a bit. Normally I don’t measure anything and just sort of go with how I feel and have a pretty good understanding of how many ounces of protein I get…I am currently forcing myself to eat more than I normally do. Once you do this for about a week you will have a pretty good idea of what your blocks look like. I always have a shake post workout. If I workout two separate times during the day I will have two progenex shakes. (These don’t count towards my blocks for the day.) I normally just have an extra long training session and double up within a few hours and stick to one shake. I do two-a-days for most of my training sessions and stick to one WOD only when I have to or I’m just destroyed. Most of my two-a-days have one main WOD, a lift in the Wendler strength format, an olympic lift skill that tends to be in a every minute on the minute format for anywhere from 7-15 minutes- low rep and heavy usually, as well as some sort of other workout that complements my first WOD. I also tend to scale up the first WOD, higher weight or skill depending on what it is. I take fish oil with breakfast and dinner and try to drink a few glasses (at least) of water with every meal as well as throughout the day.

We are starting a nutrition challenge next week. These are the guidelines. Check it out and do it.

WHAT IT IS
A 9 week challenge designed to change your life. Over the course of 9 weeks, you will develop healthy habits that will help you reach optimal health and performance. The challenge will utilize the zone and paleo diets while emphasizing habitual exercise, sleep, and healthy lifestyle choices.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
You must let one of your coaches know that you are interested in participating. The cost of the challenge is $30 however you will be able to win your money back. You must log all of your food, sleep, exercise, etc. daily. (we will provide you will a chart to help you do this). This is based on the honor system. If you log that you eat perfect paleo/zone meals and sleep 8+ hours a night and your performance decreases over the course of 9 weeks, we will know you cheated. Don’t cheat. You must also take pre/post measurements to determine your body fat percentage as well as participate in our pre/post benchmark workouts.

Bonus:
+1 Half of your Carbohydrate Blocks or Meals from Veggies (3 possible per day)- if you are not doing zone, if half of your meal is vegetables it is 1 point.
+1 Fewer than 5 hours between meals (1 possible per day)
+1 64oz of water during the day (1 possible per day)- hydration is key to optimal performance. You should be drinking water all day. You may not drink 64 oz of water in the morning or in the evening for this to count.

Deductions:
-1 Each Alcoholic Beverage (-5 possible per day)- 1 shot, 1 beer, or 1 glass of wine is -1 point. Honor system ladies and gentlemen, a ’40’ is more than 1 beer.
-1 Less than 3 grams of Fish Oil a day. You should be taking fish oil as a supplement. NO excuses here.
-1 No post workout nutrition within 45 minutes after exercising- we are looking for an immediate post WOD meal. It is ideal to take your shake or eat your meal within 45min post workout. The post workout shake does not count for your daily meals or blocks and it is not considered a cheat meal even though it is not considered 100% paleo.

Exercise:
Only WODS in the gym count. Only 1 WOD a day will count and you may not do 3 WODS on Sunday to make up for inactivity throughout the week.
+20 – 5+ WODs/week
+10 – 4+ WODs/week
+5 – 3 WODs/week
0 – 2 WODs/week
-5 – Fewer than 2 WODs/week

There will also be Men and Women’s prizes for the biggest change in performance as well as the biggest change in body composition.

ZONE
“In the Zone scheme all of humanity calculates to either “2”, “3”, “4”, or “5 Block” meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner with either “1” or “2 block” snacks between lunch and dinner and again between dinner and bedtime. We’ve simplified the process for determining which of the four meal sizes and two snack sizes best suits your needs. We assume that you are CrossFitters, i.e., very active.
Being a “4 Blocker”, for instance, means that you eat three meals each day where each meal is comprised of 4 blocks of protein, 4 blocks of carbohydrate, and 4 blocks of fat. Whether you are a “smallish” medium sized guy or a “largish” medium sized guy would determine whether you’ll need snacks of one or two blocks twice a day.
The “meal plans” stand as examples of 2, 3, 4, or 5 block meals and the “block chart” gives quantities of common foods equivalent to 1 block of protein, carbohydrate, or fat. Once you decide that you need, say, “4 block” meals, it is simple to use the block chart and select four times something from the protein list, four times something from the carbohydrate list, and four times something from the fat list every meal.
One-block snacks are chosen from the block chart at face value for a single snack of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, whereas two block snacks are, naturally, chosen comprised of twice something from carbohydrates combined with twice something from the protein list, and twice something from the fats.
Every meal, every snack, must contain equivalent blocks of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. If the protein source is specifically labeled “non-fat”, then double the usual fat blocks for that meal. Read “Enter the Zone” to learn why. At Zone parameters body fat comes off fast.” Taken from CrossFit Journal Article 21. READ IT.

What is A BLOCK?
A block is a unit of measure used to simplify the process of making balanced meals.
7 grams of protein = 1 block of protein
9 grams of carbohydrate = 1 block of carbohydrate
1.5 grams of fat = 1 block of fat
(There is an assumption that there is about 1.5 grams of fat in each block of protein, so the total amount of fat needed per 1 block meal is 3 grams.)
When a meal is composed of equal blocks of protein, carbohydrate, and fat, it is 40 % carbohydrate, 30 % protein and 30% fat. We have provided you with a block chart. This “block chart” is a convenient tool for making balanced meals. Simply choose 1 item from the protein list, 1 item from the carbohydrate list, and 1 item from the fat list to compose a 1 block meal. Or choose 2 items from each column to compose a 2 block meal, etc.

You will use the below diagram to help determine how many blocks you should be eating in a day. You must also use these BLOCK CHARTS to determine how much food constitutes a ‘block’.

PALEO Protein: free range, grass fed, organic sources are best. Avoid bologna, hot dogs, ground beef that is greater than 15% fat, and excessive amounts of deli meat. Beef Jerky is okay only if the ingredients do not include soy or sweeteners. Seafood is great however, avoid canned fish in oil. Eggs and egg whites are also great.Carbohydrates: Any and all vegetables. DO NOT eat grains of any kind, corn, legumes such as beans and peas, and potatoes. Sweet potatoes are okay, white potatoes are not. Fruit is okay in moderation and moderation only. Avoid dried fruit or any fruit in syrup.Fat: Nuts and seeds, avocado, coconut, and most oils. DO NOT eat peanuts or salted nuts. Extra virgin olive oil is best for salad dressings and coconut oil is best for cooking. You may also eat avocado, walnut and flaxseed oil. DO NOT eat canola, corn, or vegetable oil.
AVOID ALL gluten, soy, and dairy products as well as any and all sweeteners and all grain and grain-like seeds including quinoa. No Soda, fruit juices, or alcohol. Avoid high salt processed foods such as commercial salad dressings and condiments, salted nuts, processed meats etc…avoid all refined sugars including syrups and and processed product containing fructose, sucrose, and glucose. Avoid foods with artificial colors or flavors and foods with preservatives. If you can not recognize an ingredient as a natural occurring recognizable food item, you are probably not allowed to eat it.

If you google the zone or paleo recipes, you will come up with endless resources and information on the topics. Be resourceful. We will not spoon feed this stuff for you but we will be here to answer any important questions that you may have.

PROTEIN AND WHAT IT DOES
– fluid regulation, fighting illnesses, producing enzymes, carrying nutrients throughout the body, hormone production, transporting oxygen throughout the body, aids in recovery and regeneration, etc…
– DRINK TONS OF WATER WHILE YOU ARE EATING A LOT OF PROTEIN. Don’t wait till you are thirsty because then you are already dehydrated. As athletes dehydration = death. Not really…but sort of. Don’t let it happen. Drink water all day. Before meals, after meals, and in between meals.
– There’s a lot out there on why protein consumption is important. Since we are following zone and paleo diets, don’t bother looking at anything that vegetarians and vegans have to say. I don’t care if quinoa is a ‘good source of protein’ according to some…it’s a big fat lie. ESPECIALLY AS ATHLETES. Eat lean meats, fish, poultry, and eggs. No excuses. Your performance will decrease and you won’t get lean without doing this.

S0… we have people doing this challenge for a number of reasons. If you are doing this to be healthier, lean out a little, and increase performance, both zone and paleo will do this for you. If you are trying to gain weight or lose weight, you will have to be very specific in what you eat for the next 9 weeks. (If you want it to work).

WEIGHT GAIN:
There aren’t a lot of you out there who are trying to gain weight so if you want to, come talk to Chris or J. As a general outline do the following…
– EAT, A LOT. 18-20 calories/lb of body weight.
– 30% of your calories will come from protein (zone) so eat 1.5 g/lb of body weight.
– 40-45% of your daily caloric intake from fats. This is a bit different from zone. We are upping your fat intake.
– eat the other 30% of your caloric intake from carbohydrates. (fruits and vegetables) Yams are awesome here.
– Lift a lot and don’t do any ‘extra cardio’ crap.
– Eat often. Every 3-4 hours and make sure all your meals have fat…lots of healthy Omega-3 fats.
– Drink tons of water.
– EAT PRE-WORKOUT. ESPECIALLY CARBOHYDRATES.

WEIGHT LOSS:
– You will be zoning if you have any prayer of losing body fat. You will have to be very strict with what you eat, how much you are eating of these foods, and when you eat.
– Eat breakfast high in fats and protein. Fat (in moderation) does not make you fat, get over it.
– Eat often. Every 3 or 4 hours.
– Drink a ton of water. ALL DAY. Drink water with every meal and every time you drink coffee.
– Eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates a day. SO IMPORTANT. NO fruit. NO sugar- Of any kind.
– Eat 1 – 1.5 grams of protein per lb of body weight. Protein is super important in recovery. See the protein section.
– You will be eating zone in order to lose weight and cutting your carbohydrate intake in half (for the most part). It is important to note we are not restricting your calories. We are changing the types of food you eat, how often you eat them, and how much you eat. There is a good chance you will be eating more food and more often than you are used to.

So Ma has this idea of putting together a collection of our favorite paleo recipes from the gym. (so all of you who go to PFCF start thinking about your favorites) I had some free time on my hands and it was an off day today so I couldn’t waste my time working out. (although I managed to do a significant amount of ‘cardio’ for some reason. Over an hour collectively. Who knows why.) I decided to cook. I’ve come to the realization lately that I am not eating enough during the day. I guess I just don’t bring enough food with me in the morning and I find eating during the day to be time consuming and boring. I am also not eating enough carbs. SO, I decided to cook up some vegetables and sweet potatoes tonight and carb load for tomorrow’s workout. I’m totally kidding. I don’t believe in that crap. But I did cook a bunch of vegetables to bring with me to eat tomorrow after my workouts. Chris and I have also taken a recent liking to scallops. Which I have disliked for the majority of my life. However, I have learned to cook them and they are quick, easy, and delicious. I am also going to include my new cookie recipe because they are almost all fat and awesome and if you are looking for a nice little paleo cheat, they are great.

1. Cut up all your vegetables, mix them with a little olive oil, and spread them onto a baking sheet.
2. sprinkle spices and salt onto the vegetables
3. bake at 350 for around 40 minutes. Or until they are done. I have a tendency to open the oven 20 times so it may have taken longer than normal.

Sweet Potato Fries
– sweet potatoes
– sea salt
– olive oil

1. cut up sweet potatoes into thin fries
2. lightly sprinkle olive oil on them
3. add a little salt
4. bake at 375 until they are crispy.
5. enjoy.

1. Mix almond meal, salt, and baking soda together.
2. In a separate bowl mix the coconut oil, vanilla olive oil, honey, vanilla, and water together.
3. Mix the above wet and dry ingredients together.
4. Add in the coconut flakes
5. line a baking sheet with wax paper and put golf ball size scoops of the ‘dough’ onto the baking sheet. Make sure to smash them down so they are flat because they won’t flatten in the oven.
6. Bake at 325 for 10-15 minutes or when the edges start to brown.

Anyways, the regional workouts have been announced and I couldn’t be happier. They are amazing and HEAVY…which is what I was hoping for. Even though I can’t compete because of my knee (99% sure I won’t be competing) I am so excited to watch. I waited during the entire open for something heavy to come up and it came in the form of one entire weekend. It’s a beautiful thing. I’ll talk more about my experience and thoughts on the workouts themselves as I am able to do them.

So its official, I have a torn meniscus and I am having surgery. On Monday to be exact. So I’m flying to Miami on Saturday and then having surgery Monday and flying back to CO on Friday. It should be super exciting.

Instead of talking about my knee I am going to tell you guys about the banana bread I made today. It was, and is by far one of the most amazing things I’ve eaten recently.
I started with Juli Bauer’s PaleOMG recipe for banana bread which you can find HERE.
But I changed it a bit. Here’s what I used:

Mix the two together and then add a container of blueberries.
Bake at 375.
I also added Progenex vanilla protein powder and a packet of almond butter to part of the batter. I wanted to see if it tasted good with protein powder and it DID. It was damn delicious.